Jefferson doubles up Edgerton

With key injuries stacking up on his team, Jefferson High football coach Steve Gee promptly turned defensive back Pete Linse into a wingback in practice this past week.

Linse in turn became a star in front of a spunky homecoming crowd, rushing 11 times for 136 yards and three touchdowns to lead Jefferson (3-3, 1-3) to a stunning 42-21 victory over Edgerton (4-2, 2-2) here Friday night.

It gave the Eagles their first Rock Valley victory in their first season back in the conference they left after the 1981 season. Meanwhile, the loss dropped Edgerton two games off the pace in the Rock Valley North after the Crimson Tide had opened the season with a 4-0 start.

“The coaches told me that I needed to step and play offense, and I just did my best to do what the coaches told me to do,” Linse said.

“We studied the film and looked for some tendencies, and we looked for particular things that they (Edgerton) do in motion,’’ Gee said.

Jefferson couldn’t have played much better on offense, either. The Eagles opened the game with a 9-play, 79-yard scoring drive, capped by Jake Dillavou’s 1-yard touchdown.

Kyle Johnson answered the Eagles’ score with a 2-yard touchdown run to draw the Crimson Tide even at 7-7 midway through the first quarter. Johnson paced the Tide with three touchdown runs, but it wasn’t enough.

Linse then took control of the game with touchdown runs of 11 and 25 yards to put the Eagles up 21-7 with with 13 seconds left in the first quarter.

After Johnson added a 1-yard touchdown run for Edgerton, Travis McDermott extended the Eagles’ lead to 27-14 on a 3-yard touchdown run late in the second period.